Instrument assembly for implanting a stem component of a knee prosthesis and orthopaedic surgical procedure for using the same

1. A surgical instrument system for use during a surgical procedure to implant an orthopaedic knee prosthesis, comprising:

a surgical reamer comprising an elongated shank having (i) a proximal end configured to fit into the chuck of a rotary power tool, (ii) a cutting head located at an opposite, distal end of the shank, the cutting head comprising a cutting tip with a plurality of helical cutting flutes extending away from the cutting tip in a direction toward the proximal end of the elongated shank, and (iii) a plurality of depth marks formed in the helical cutting flutes of the cutting head, wherein each of the plurality of depth marks comprises an annular-shaped groove formed in the helical cutting flutes and is positioned at a location on the cutting head corresponding to a predetermined depth of operation of the surgical reamer, and

an implant reference guide comprising (i) an elongated guide body having a longitudinal axis, (ii) a plurality of size marks defined on the guide body, wherein each of the plurality of size marks is positioned at a location along the longitudinal axis corresponding to a size and a type of a surgical component of the orthopaedic knee prosthesis, (iii) a plurality of depth marks defined on the guide body, wherein each of the plurality of depth marks is positioned at a location on the longitudinal axis corresponding to one of the plurality of depth marks formed in the helical cutting flutes of the cutting head of the surgical reamer, and (iv) a base formed in a distal end of the guide body, the base having a proximal-facing support surface that extends in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the guide body,

wherein when the surgical reamer is aligned parallel to the longitudinal axis of the implant reference guide, the proximal-facing support surface of the base is configured to engage the cutting tip of the distal end of the surgical reamer.

2. The surgical instrument system of claim 1 , wherein:

the plurality of depth marks of the surgical reamer includes a first depth mark, a second depth mark, and a third depth mark,

the first depth mark of the surgical reamer has a different color than the second and third depth marks of the surgical reamer,

the second depth mark of the surgical reamer is located between the first depth mark of the surgical reamer and the proximal end of the elongated shank, and

the third depth mark of the surgical reamer is located between the first depth mark of the surgical reamer and the distal end of the elongated shank.

3. The surgical instrument system of claim 2 , wherein:

the plurality of depth marks of the surgical reamer further includes a fourth depth mark and a fifth depth mark,

the fourth depth mark of the surgical reamer is located between the second depth mark and the proximal end of the elongated shank, and

the fifth depth mark of the surgical reamer is located between the third depth mark and the distal end of the elongated shank.

4. The surgical instrument system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of depth marks of the surgical reamer has a different color than the other depth marks of the surgical reamer.

5. The surgical instrument system of claim 4 , wherein each of the number of the plurality of depth marks is filled with a colored epoxy ink.

6. The surgical instrument system of claim 1 , wherein the annular-shaped groove formed in the helical cutting flutes of each of the plurality of depth marks of the surgical reamer extends around the entire circumference of the elongated shank of the surgical reamer.

7. A method of performing an orthopaedic surgical procedure to implant a prosthetic knee component into an end of a long bone of a knee of a patient, comprising:

determining a size of the prosthetic component to implant into the end of the long bone of the knee of the patient,

identifying a size mark corresponding to the determined size of the prosthetic component from a plurality of size marks located on an implant reference guide having a longitudinal axis and a base that includes a support surface that extends orthogonal to the longitudinal axis,

determining a depth mark, from a plurality of depth marks located on the implant reference guide, that is located closest to the size mark identified as corresponding to the determined size of the prosthetic component,

engaging a cutting tip of a surgical reamer with the support surface of the implant reference guide,

aligning the surgical reamer parallel to a longitudinal axis of the implant reference guide with the cutting tip engaged with the support surface of the implant reference guide,

with the cutting tip engaged with the support surface of the implant reference guide, identifying a depth mark, from a plurality of depth marks located on the surgical reamer, that corresponds to the determined depth mark on the implant reference guide, and

advancing the surgical reamer into the intramedullary canal of the long bone of the patient to a depth which corresponds to the identified depth mark on the surgical reamer.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein:

determining the size of the prosthetic component to implant into the end of the long bone of the knee of the patient comprises determining a size of a stem component to implant into a proximal end of a tibia of the patient, and

advancing the surgical reamer comprises advancing the surgical reamer into the intramedullary canal of the tibia of the patient to a depth which corresponds to the identified depth mark on the surgical reamer.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein:

determining the size of the prosthetic component to implant into the end of the long bone of the knee of the patient comprises determining a size of a stem component to implant into a distal end of a femur of the patient, and

advancing the surgical reamer comprises advancing the surgical reamer into the intramedullary canal of the femur of the patient to a depth which corresponds to the identified depth mark on the surgical reamer.